Dreams
by redsunset
Summary: Kiba and Kakashi make an unlikely friendship in the face of unfortunate events. They have a lot to teach each other about life, death, spirituality and making connections with the earth.
1. Death

It's still dark when Kakashi wakes up.

He takes only a moment to realise what's out of place. No time for thoughts. He quickly flings the thin covers from his bed and sprints to the balcony. The door is open and a cool breeze sifts through the opening of the apartment. When he steps onto the balcony, he falters.

"What?" Kiba turns around, hands still gripping the metal barrier along the edge of the balcony, "Did you think I came out here to kill myself?"

"Never mind," Kakashi answers, feeling a little ashamed, and it's not right because Kiba's still a kid and shouldn't be able to make Kakashi feel ashamed.

"You're right, though…" Kiba calls out as Kakashi starts to go back inside, "I did intend to kill myself, but..." he stumbles over his words, "I- I kind of thought it would be easy. You know, just throw myself into the earth. Free fall. I mean, it'd be like going home, wouldn't it? The earth is just like home. But, you wouldn't understand that."

"No," Kakashi hears himself say, "I wouldn't."

"It's funny, you know. When we're young, they teach us how to land properly from a large fall. How to land on our feet and let the impact flow throughout our bodies. How landing badly can end up with a sprained ankle, or a broken wrist. And they teach us that landing on our heads will kill us. I've always wondered why we were taught how to save ourselves and how to die in the same breath. Aren't those things… mutually exclusive?"

Kakashi doesn't bother telling Kiba that he's got the wrong idea of the meaning of the term 'mutually exclusive'.

"Were you afraid for me?" Kiba sounds too innocent, too childish. He's always been a bit like Naruto, just more rough and raw. A little less sensitive and a lot more feral.

He isn't sure of what the right answer to a question like that is, so instead he steps beside Kiba and leans over the barrier, looking down at the street far below, silent and peaceful.

"You know, I was dead once."

_- The thought of suicide is a very powerful solace._


	2. Running

Out of all the teams to endure problems amongst themselves, Kakashi would've least expected Team 8. Even his own team – when it had just been Naruto and Sakura – had been very hard to handle at times. But Team 8 had always seemed such a reserved team – the members, excluding the hot-headed Kiba, were quiet and didn't waste much of their time on words.

He barely associated with the team – after all, they were in Kurenai's care, not his. It was enough trouble dealing with his own team, sustaining a façade of boredom whilst trying to maintain peace.

Hence, he was understandably surprised when Shino and Hinata approached him that day.

"We have a request to ask of you," Shino had told him, face impassive and blank, "First, I must ask of you for your silence – as respect for our wishes to keep the whole of the village from knowing my team's problems."

"Whatever you are going to ask of me, you wish for me to not inform anyone else about it, correct?" Kakashi accurately read the meaning behind Shino's words, the boy bent his head slightly, his hood falling over his face further, "Alright. As long as what you ask of me is not too extreme – which I highly doubt, seeing your sincerity."

"You must know Kiba…" Hinata started, surprising Kakashi as he'd almost forgotten she was still there, somewhat hiding behind Shino. She halted and blushed as Kakashi nodded and glanced at her to continue. "Um, that is… you must also know Akamaru…" Her voice cracked slightly and she stopped altogether, ducking her head and rubbing at her eyes in a way that had nothing to do with shyness.

"Akamaru was killed a week ago during a mission." Shino stated blatantly. It was probably an Aburame trait to be so apathetic and unaffected by anything. "It was… an unfortunate incident, but…"

"So what has happened to Kiba?" Kakashi asked immediately, Hinata's hands began to tremble violently – a warning.

"He has…" Shino sounded confused, unsure of how to word his next sentence, "… taken refuge, in the forest."

"We couldn't tell Kurenai…" Hinata still stared at the ground, her fringe tipped forward, shielding her face, "He ran and ran and we couldn't catch up to him. We called out, but he kept on running…"

"So he has run away." Kakashi stated. It was a strange thought – he never would have expected a ninja from the Inuzuka clan to become rogue. They were a tough yet loyal clan, and hence had no intention to leave Konoha. Strange.

"Please, you have to help us bring him back." Hinata mumbled, and she finally looked up, her face wet with tears. "For Kurenai-sensei, at least. I don't think she'd be able to bear it if…

"Alright," Kakashi answered, "Alright."

* * *

For a dog, Pakkun was extremely intelligent, able to speak when he was only four months of age. Out of all Kakashi's ninken, Pakkun also had the sharpest sense of smell, able to pinpoint nearly all of his elusive targets when called upon to do so.

Still, he didn't expect the dog to give him such a wary look when he stated their newest objective.

"You said Inuzuka, didn't you?" Pakkun asked, "Well, this boy's going to be a hard one to find then. That clan is full of strange… you can't call them people, really. They know the ways of the earth better than the dogs they own."

"I understand." Kakashi answered quietly, "But for Kurenai, we must at least attempt to find him."

"These kids," the ninken made a condescending noise, "Seems like it's a trend for them to run away these days, doesn't it?"

Despite himself, Kakashi found himself glaring down at Pakkun, "Let's hope you're not right about that."

"I wish I could agree with you," Pakkun muttered, turning away from Kakashi as he began to sniff the ground with a curiosity only a dog could have, "But a dog's intuition is over a hundred-fold more perceptive than a human's."

As he watched the dog trot off on a hunch, on a track of a scent, Kakashi began to wonder if Konoha had always been losing touch with its young ninja, or had the process had been such a gradual thing that no one had noticed?

Were they all just losing faith, or was there no one left to guide them?

_- Running away will never make you free._


	3. Peculiarities

"We've found him."

"Oh? So you've been using the help of my other ninken, Pakkun? How unlike you."

"It's been a week, Kakashi. If I hadn't gotten anyone else on the job, we'd have never found the Inuzuka kid."

"I understand. Good work, Pakkun. You are now dismissed."

"Good luck, Kakashi. This one's barely even human."

* * *

There was something awfully curious about the way Kiba leapt from the trees and the ground, something off-putting about it. Kakashi found himself tempted to pull away his forehead protector from his face. His Sharingan allowed him to see the flow of chakra – and although he was not sure of what help seeing Kiba's chakra would give, he pulled the metal protector away from his face.

There was nothing unusual about Kiba's chakra. In fact, it flowed as smoothly and normally as Kakashi had learned to expect from kids of Naruto's age. It was when Kiba landed and leapt off the side of a tree that his Sharingan caught the abnormality.

It was… well it couldn't be, could it?

It seemed almost as if Kiba were leaving traces of his chakra behind in his steps – and on the places where he was about to step. The soft glow left upon the branches of each tree that Kiba had stepped on, or was about to step upon, matched the chakra which flowed throughout Kiba's body yet, that could not be possible either. No, it seemed more like the earth itself was…

All these insignificant considerations were quickly shook away when Kiba suddenly threw his head back and let out a long, piercing howl. The sound sent shivers down Kakashi's spine. It was almost inhuman, and there was something utterly depressing within the horrible sound.

When the echoing howls of wolves follow Kiba's lead, Kakashi feels more perplexed at the situation than ever. He's been in stranger situations, true, but still.

"Kiba!" Kakashi calls out, not really wanting to wait around and see if the wolves really do respond and gather at Kiba's call. He nimbly digs into the satchel hanging around his waist and pulls out a kunai which he throws against the next tree Kiba approaches.

As Kiba turns to face him, Kakashi quickly focuses his chakra into his eyes. He can see the reaction immediately. Kiba's snarl quickly fades away to a blank expression, his eyes empty and wide as he falls under the power of the Sharingan's hypnotism.

Kakashi swiftly leaps towards the Inuzuka boy, landing deftly beside him. The boy still doesn't break from the trance, even though Kakashi doesn't maintain eye contact with him. _The Sharingan's hypnotic powers usually only work that well on animals._ While Kakashi considers this piece of information, he removes his kunai from the branch of the tree and slams the blunt end of it into the back of Kiba's head, effectively rendering the boy unconscious.

As Kiba's eyes flutter shut, Kakashi observes that his pupils are much like a dog's. Essentially, much of Kiba's physical traits resembled an animal's.

Almost as if he wasn't even human.

_- Confusion is only a part of an individual's unwillingness to understand._


	4. Waking

He lays the boy upon his bed, not really caring for his dirt-encrusted clothes or sweaty skin. Kiba lays motionless with his mouth slightly open, lips curled back from the sharp canines in his upper jaw. Even sleeping, he looks as wild as ever.

"Oi." Kakashi slaps Kiba lightly across the face. It takes only a moment for him to awake, jolting suddenly into a sitting position on Kakashi's bed. His eyes flicker over his surroundings, and he raises his shoulders in a defensive stance. A long, low growl is emitted from the base of his throat.

"I hope you're not planning to run away again, because it's not going to work," Kakashi taps the metal of his forehead protector, "Remember my Sharingan? Not very pleasant to get hypnotised, is it?"

Kiba narrows his eyes. They almost seem to glow within the darkness of Kakashi's apartment. He growls again, a harsh grating sound, like metal scraping against metal.

"Kiba, there is no need to act so feral," Kakashi sighs, he reaches up to his forehead protector again, "Or shall I use my Sharingan to make you speak?"

"What the fuck do you want, old man?" Kiba finally spits out, and his words are a bit clumsy at first.

"First, I need to know why you are running away. After that, I'll explain to you why I can't let you leave Konoha."

"Why do I owe you an explanation? You don't even know me." Kiba mutters bitterly, shifting uncomfortably on the bed. "Why did you even bring me here? Why did you bring me back?"

"Well then, I think it's a stalemate," Kakashi answers, then adds, "By the way, you have some visitors." The sound of approaching footsteps increases, until they stop and there's a knock on the door.

"It's us." Shino's emotionless voice is muffled by the inch-and-a-half of timber.

"Come in," Kakashi replies, although the two remaining members of Team Eight had already opened the door and entered his apartment.

"If you're going to keep me here in such a pathetic hostage imitation, then you should provide me food, shouldn't you?" Kiba gives a grin which has an ominous feeling attached to it, "I'm hungry, you know."

"What do you want, then?" Kakashi asks.

"Mm, well," Kiba stretches out and yawns, "Maybe a rabbit – live, of course."

Kakashi doesn't let himself be affected by the boy's words, and Kiba is visibly disappointed by Kakashi's lack of disgust, his eyes narrowing once again.

"Alright, I'll get you a rabbit, if that's what you want."

"Kiba…" Hinata's soft, sweet voice murmurs. There's a hint of shock, or surprise, within her otherwise hesitant tone.

"We were concerned when you ran off so suddenly," Shino states without feeling, his voice as cold as ever. Kiba snorts.

"Sure sounds like it," he answers rudely, indirectly mocking Shino's lack of emotion.

"Hinata, Shino, I trust you two will be able to handle Kiba should he try to make another escape," Kakashi nods at the two, "I'll be heading out for awhile, I'll be back soon though."

"Of course we will," Shino's gaze is piercing despite the sunglasses covering his eyes, "I already have placed several of my bugs on Kiba. He won't be able to run even if he tries."

Kiba's indignant _'what?'_ is ignored by them all as Kakashi places a hand on Shino's shoulder and nods once more, "Good."

As Kakashi leaves, he hears Hinata murmur something. Kiba's answer is short and clear.

"I don't feel like talking."

* * *

"You're back." Hinata almost sounds excited to see Kakashi, although her tone still holds a lot of hesitance in it. She stands up immediately as he enters the room. Shino leans against the wall, his head ducked, and Kakashi wonders if he's sleeping. Kiba himself is lying on his side, head propped up by his hand. His eyes are closed.

"Kiba doesn't wish to see us…" Shino states, he flicks his hand and a swarm of bugs retreat from Kiba's skin to rest within Shino's body again. "We're going to leave, now."

"I can't stand it, I'm sorry…" Hinata begins to sob, tipping her head forward to hide her face. Kiba opens his eyes and glances at her warily. It's alarming to see a Hyuuga so emotionally affected. Kakashi hopes that he isn't meant to be comforting her.

Hinata steps backwards, slowly, then abruptly turns and hurries out of the room. The front door of the apartment slams soon after.

"Goodbye," Shino says before he follows the footsteps of his team mate.

There's a split second of silence after Shino leaves. Then Kiba sits up, alert again.

"You brought food," Kiba whispers, dangerous intent on the edge of his voice. Kakashi nods, places the catatonic rabbit in front of the boy. Kiba edges forward in a sudden burst of movement, then grabs the rabbit with a claw-like hand.

"So this is what it looks like…" Kiba murmurs as he examines the rabbit carefully, referring to its Sharingan-induced trance. He promptly bites down on the rabbit's neck and it twitches to life, jerking and squealing in its place within his teeth. He shakes his head once, twice, then finally the animal falls limp, hanging uselessly in Kiba's mouth, blood trickling through its soft fur.

Kakashi can't help feeling disgusted as he watches the Inuzuka boy methodically peel away the rabbit's skin and fur using his teeth and gnaw at the flesh and bone beneath. Kiba notices this and stops, his lips and teeth stained crimson with dark blood. "Don't look if you're so faint of heart," he jeers, his tongue pokes out from his lips, seeking out the blood on the corner of his mouth. The familiar coppery smell pervades Kakashi's senses.

"What happened with Shino and Hinata?"

"I didn't want to talk to them." Kiba begins to crunch on a piece of tendon, "I don't like seeing those two anymore. They remind me of Akamaru."

Kakashi is a loss for words, but Kiba doesn't notice this as he continues, "It was a bad way that he died, Akamaru. Let me tell you, because you seem so curious about why I don't want to live in Konoha anymore." Kiba places the half-eaten carcass of the rabbit onto his legs, "It was a bit like filling a balloon with too much air, you know? That ninja… He had a strange ability to infuse his chakra into a victim's body. When your body has too little chakra, you die. When your body has too much chakra, then your system goes into overload and you'll die."

Kiba's eyes start to cloud over with thought, "He just swelled up larger and larger, Akamaru. That's when I was reminded of a balloon. Of how when you fill a balloon with too much air, it explodes. Well, Akamaru exploded. Too much chakra, and he just burst." He continues speaking in a disaffected voice – an obvious façade, "It was hard to believe those shards of bone and bits of gore and blood once were my partner, my best friend."

"I'm sorry," Kakashi speaks honestly; horror twists itself into a tight knot in the bottom of his stomach. It wasn't fair that all of these kids, so young, all of them had to witness such terrible killings at their age. It had been like that a hundred years ago, and it would be the same forever.

"You see, killing the ninja who killed Akamaru won't put all those pieces of Akamaru back together. I can't return Akamaru properly to the earth, not when he's been blown to bits like that. No matter what I do, no matter if I train as hard as I can and restore peace to the world or bullshit like that, it won't bring back Akamaru. All I know is that I should've put a stop to my own pursuance of the path of a ninja. If only I'd done so before, if only, then Akamaru would still be alive."

Kiba gives Kakashi a strange look from his wolf-like eyes, "You wouldn't understand though. You're too human. All of you are too obsessed with power and revenge. I don't want to be a part of it. Not anymore. Because I'm not like the rest of you," he says, eyes lingering on a spot behind Kakashi, "I'm not as strong. You all can move on, you all can accept death and keep fighting. I don't want to fight anymore. I want to run away, be with the mountains and the forests, be under an endless sky. I want to run away from all my troubles and forget the life of a ninja. That's what I've always dreamt of – a world where there is no need for war, or brutality, or any violence. All that is, all that will be, is as earth chooses."

_- If everything in life is futile, the decision to exist must then be the most irrational of all._

* * *

Author's note: Silvergurl423 - About your question, I was actually considering making this romance-based but it's most probably just going to be a friendship fic. Thanks for reading and reviewing my story =]


	5. Reconciling

"You know, something's been bothering me."

It'd been several days since Kakashi had taken in Kiba. The boy had been desperately restless, and at one point he'd started breaking Kakashi's possessions. From Kakashi's view, his behaviour was irrational and reckless, but somewhat animal-like. He'd had to calm the boy down using his Sharingan again, preferring mind tactics over physical means. Kiba had gone into a rather depressive slump for two days in a row, not wanting to eat or talk or do anything at all – Kakashi wondered if it would've been better if he'd fought aggressively rather than passively before.

Kakashi had to admit, he was a little unnerved by the boy's uncharacteristic apathy.

"When I observed your chakra with my Sharingan before… It seemed almost as if you were leaving traces on the earth." Kakashi states this aloud, not really expecting an answer from the inert Kiba. The boy had been staring up at the ceiling since he'd woken up, not shifting a muscle on the bed. At the word _earth_, however, Kiba seemed to wake up with a sudden jerk.

"I wasn't leaving chakra," he speaks, his voice scratchy from lack of use over the past few days, "The earth was _giving_ me chakra."

"I had considered that," Kakashi answers slowly, he rubs the side of his mask in thought, "But the idea seemed absurd, really."

"Why should it?" Kiba's voice takes on a defensive tone, "Just because you don't understand the earth doesn't mean I can't."

"Well, how do you use the earth's chakra then?"

"You can't just _use_ the chakra of the earth. It's not like its there for you to take and use against an enemy. It's more or less just a means of making animals and plants and all other organisms function smoothly. The chakra allows animals to move more freely, more gracefully; it's what causes plants to grow, to shape themselves in certain ways. You can't just take that chakra – it has to be a part of you, a part of the way you think, the way you feel. It becomes a part of your body, and instead of thinking or guessing where the earth places its chakra, you instinctively know where the chakra is being released, and you can absorb it and release it by touch."

"That is certainly a strange way of using the earth's chakra."

"Maybe because this is something that only the Inuzuka clan knows. All our clans have their own secrets, don't they? But I don't mind telling my clan's secrets. It's not like you'll ever be able to use the earth's chakra, or understand the earth like I do. Akamaru taught me these things, or we learned them together. Something like that. You couldn't understand it – you're only human."

"But it's not only the Inuzuka clan that knows how to use the earth's chakra. Naruto also utilises the earth's chakra… in a more offensive manner than yours."

"What?" Kiba hisses, and he makes an agitated movement that Kakashi almost mistakes for the boy trying to attack him. Kiba quickly turns away, biting at his lips with sharp canines.

Kiba doesn't talk to Kakashi for several moments, but the man can hear him muttering things under his breath.

"It's not right… no, it doesn't make sense. He shouldn't be abusing the earth like that!" Kiba finally bursts out, "He doesn't understand the _meaning_ of connecting to the earth. It's… not right."

"Kiba, why should the earth be any more important to you than it is to Naruto or anyone else?" Kakashi lets himself smile – a gesture that is hidden by his omnipresent mask, "I've noticed this about you Kiba – you're a very selfish person."

"No, I'm not selfish – that's a trait only humans show. I'm just practical; I'm just looking out for myself."

"Hence, you're being selfish." Kakashi shrugs. Kiba narrows his eyes and rolls onto his stomach.

"I don't want to talk to you."

"Is that your safety mechanism you exhibit whenever anyone bests you in an argument?"

Kiba doesn't answer him. Kakashi sighs – he knows that if he wants to establish a level of understanding with Kiba, there'll have to be a treaty first.

"I just want you to understand that you're not the only one who suffers in their life," he starts, but Kiba still doesn't move and it's obvious he's not listening. Kakashi sighs again.

"Kiba… how would you like to go outside?"

_- Pride comes before a fall: to detach oneself from one's pride is to save oneself from falling._


	6. Philosophy

When Kiba gets up from the bed, he stumbles. It's been six days since he's stood on his own feet. Kakashi grabs Kiba beneath the shoulders and forces him upright. The boy smells of blood and grass and earth, of something raw and strangely natural. Kiba growls and brushes off Kakashi's hands.

"I don't need your help. I'm not a kid."

His pupils are thicker in the darkness, dilated by the lack of light in the apartment. There's a deadly glint in them, the metallic kind present only in the eyes of wild animals.

"There's a nice clearing up past this block," Kakashi says, deciding to ignore Kiba's immature behaviour, "That's where we'll go."

"This is you, isn't it?" Kiba's examining one of the photographs of Kakashi's old team. "The Fourth was your teacher, huh?"

He suddenly remembers the old nightmares, the ones that are less frequent but still present. Remembers the smell of coppery blood and dust and dirt, remembers Obito being slowly crushed to death while he could only watch.

"Yes." Kakashi pauses for a moment, "All of them are dead, excluding me, of course."

Kiba freezes for a fraction of a second, then he nods, "Of course."

It wasn't good to hang on to memories. No, the memories themselves weren't good for anything at all.

* * *

They stand in the clearing, beneath the thin canopy of trees. Gentle rays of sunlight seep through the spaces between the trees, little pieces of light that illuminate what they touch. Kiba turns his face up into the sunlight, his eyes squint as he gets used to the light – after all, he hasn't been outside in several days.

Kiba inhales deeply, tasting the air, "A storm's coming," he grins, "How ironic." He lays a hand almost affectionately against the trunk of a tree before speaking again, "It might not make sense to you, but the bond between Akamaru and me is- _was_ much stronger than any bond you could have with another human. That is why… separation is so hard for me to tolerate."

"Explain it to me, since you appear to think that I have problems understanding you." Kakashi leans against a tree; the bark is prickly against his back, even through his thick vest.

"That's the whole thing – I can't explain it to you. After all," Kiba gave a grin that could only be called feral, his teeth were bright white against his tanned face, his canines looked sharp and dangerous, "You're only human."

"You state those words over and over again, 'you're only human'," Kakashi mocks Kiba in a somewhat stoic manner, his voice utterly deadpan, "But you are a human yourself – so of course I can't understand you."

"I'm not like you. Have you forgotten that I am from the Inuzuka clan?" Kiba laughs, "We live as a part of the earth. We go with the cycle of nature, not against it, like you humans."

"For a kid from the Inuzuka clan, you sure have a strange philosophy."

"My mother always scolded me for being different." Kiba smiles to himself, "Well, she told me I was too free-spirited and uncaring to be a ninja. I'm not like the rest of you – my interests don't lie within making myself a skilled killer. All I ever wanted was knowledge about nature. Just by understanding nature, you can understand a whole lot more about the world than you think. After all, who else is there to witness us do anything but the earth?" Kiba closed his eyes and leant against the tree, "The trees tell me things, you know."

"What sort of things?"

"Memories that they have. Every action a person performs leaves an imprint in the world – an imprint which can resurface even a thousand years later, if the trees are still there to tell their stories. It's not intentional, it's more like… A good analogy would be the wind. When someone steps into the forest from a thousand feet away from you, the wind can carry that sound to your ears, correct? Like an echo of the sound, but still essentially the same sound. In the same way, the trees carry the sounds, smells and images of what has happened in the past. They tell their memories to each other, over and over, so the memories fade but never disappear."

"Do these trees have those kinds of memories?"

"Oh, they have plenty. If I were to listen to them all, time would end a thousand times over. But instead, I listen for the words that I think I might need to hear…" Kiba let out a low growl, not out of aggravation, but one of interest. "The trees tell me of a silver-haired man who dares to challenge the storms. A man with an affiliation for the lightning element. A man with a jutsu he calls chidori."

"You're talking lies," he answers, doubt edging into the back of his mind.

"Whatever," the boy shrugs without a care, "It doesn't matter to me whether you believe me or not."

"What else do the trees say?" Kakashi asks hesitantly, and he's not even sure why he's hesitant. He shouldn't be.

"They tell me of these animals called humans," and there's another feral grin, "These animals that cause death by ill-intentioned murder. They tell me that there is a continuous cycle of death in nature, but the humans disrupt this cycle with their selfishness, their greed."

_- __Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher._


	7. Storm

After the trip outside, Kiba seemed to become rejuvenated. His eyes seemed a bit more brighter, his grin slightly less feral, and his manner was much more relaxed. He'd lost the initial tenseness that he'd brought with him to Kakashi's apartment.

But of course, reprieves never last long. Kakashi had learnt that when he was only five. He wonders if it's partly his fault that the world always seems to fall down around him. Probably.

Kiba's depression transpires again, yet in a different way. He likes sitting on the balcony, watching the world run by. When Kakashi had asked him why he liked sitting on the balcony, Kiba had answered that it was interesting that he left no impressions on the human society, whereas nature was accepting and forgiving. Kakashi doesn't bother pointing out that Kiba's ideas about society aren't true; he knows the boy will make up excuses not to believe reason. Hinata and Shino hadn't come back to visit since last time – Kakashi began to feel curious as to what Kiba had said to the two. Normally, they'd have been very loyal to their team mate – or maybe isolating Kiba was a way of being loyal in itself. The situation was very curious.

One night, Kakashi wakes up to an empty apartment, and this is where the cycle comes to a close.

* * *

"You know, I was dead once."

Kiba glances at Kakashi then nods slowly. Wind passes gently over the balcony, and Kakashi can faintly hear the branches of trees rustling in the distance. He watches Kiba; the boy has a dreamy look on his face – eyes half-open, lips upturned in a smirk that almost looks like a grin, and then he wonders what the Inuzuka boy hears when the trees move.

"Tomorrow, I'm leaving. After tasting nature again, you've reminded me about what's really important." Kiba states this blandly. Kakashi doesn't feel surprised anymore. He stopped feeling surprised a long time ago – he hopes it doesn't mean that he's stopped caring, but now, he's starting to question that too.

"I know my place in this world. I don't have a demon within me, and the only ability my clan has passed on to me is my bond to the earth. It took me awhile to realise it, but the earth is what I belong to. I was born into this world to be with nature. I was born to become part of the _natural_ cycle of life and death."

And this was Kiba's belief, built upon shaky foundations yet surrounded by walls of stone. Kakashi, like most of the citizens of Konoha, held the belief that it was their responsibility to live and die for prosperity of the village.

"You can chase me all that you want, but I know now there is nothing left for me in this village. Now that I have no regret, no hesitations about my choice, you'll never be able to catch me. Even if you did, I have no fears about death. I'd rather die that stay here and live a lonely life."

"You see, there's so much selfishness in dying for a loved one. After all, it's not the 'hero' who is brave in the end; it is the person who is saved who is truly brave. The 'hero' will die, they'll never have to live alone, they won't have to live alone. They'll be cherished forever by everyone, their name will be revered. But the saved person? They'll be alone forever. It's not fair, but that's the way life is."

"I once almost made that choice for Akamaru. I would've killed myself for him. It's not the same, really, if you kill yourself. There's a whole lot more fear in killing yourself than having someone kill you.

"The trees told me I had nothing to fear when I ran. They told me of the second dimension we pass into. Our lives and our chakra pass from our body to merge into the earth. It's really beautiful, the way the trees talk about it. "

Kiba's naive ideas make Kakashi wish to bash some sense into the boy. It probably wouldn't do any good though, considering Kiba had Tsume as a parent figure. He answers Kiba in the same cold and detached way that he considers all his associates, "I told you I died before. What happened to me wasn't exactly as you described."

Kiba's reply is instantaneous: "No, you _thought_ you died. You're alive, aren't you?" he glances at Kakashi curiously, "Besides, you're only human. Nature no longer accepts those who do not accept nature."

"And how might one accept nature?"

"By allowing yourself to merge with the earth. You have to _feel_ the earth, you have to understand it is part of your entire being, part of your every breath, part of your every step. You have to merge to a point where _you_ are synonymous to the earth."

"How do you _merge_ with the earth?" and somehow, the scorn in his own voice sounds almost spiteful, "Sounds like a pretty vague concept to me."

"That's because you're _only human_. You'll never get it, will you? I tell you that you're only human for a reason. Humans are too selfish and brutal and greedy to be classified on the same level as other animals."

"So, basically, your line of argument comes down to the fact that you're less human than me, and that means I'll never connect to nature?"

"Basically." Kiba finishes, then he looks up for a moment, "Ah, it's raining. The storm's finally arrived." He glances back at Kakashi, "It's hard to catch a scent in the rain."

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When Kakashi wakes up the next morning, Kiba is gone. The sense of failure burns deep in his chest, not dissimilar to the shame he had felt when Sasuke left Konoha. He gets up that morning with a heavier burden on his shoulders, as he now has two missing-nin to deal with. Two missing-nin whose departures are of his fault. He wonders what Kurenai will say, wonders if she can deal with any more pain after what happened to Asuma.

He gets up that morning to look for Kiba, knowing that he'll never find the boy. He'd seen that far-away look in his eyes, the look of someone who was too far gone to be found: the look he had once seen in Sasuke.

He had failed everyone. Over and over. He'd failed them all.

_- Serenity is peace amid the storm._

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Author's note: NaruKiba Lover - Thanks for your review! My Kiba may be deep but he also has really naive and shallow judgments of the ways of the world_. _

Anyway, the next chapter will be the end of this story. I was meaning to make this go on for longer, but I'm really too busy to write properly anymore. Hence, this chapter is rushed and messy. The ending will be as I had always intended though._  
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	8. Dreams

As he springs off each branch, landing smoothly onto another, feeling the gentle chakra of the earth making each step softer, he hears whispers of the trees, speaking delicate words.

They tell him of a dog, a little white dog who belonged with a human who was never quite human. They tell him of a dog that grew up to be large and ferocious, and gentle and feral, aggressive and obedient, all at the same time. They tell him of the dog's death, something horrendous and violent, gory and terrifying. They tell him how they saw the dog's spirit leap from what was nothing to plunge into the earth from whence it came. They tell him how the dog is one with the earth, one with the chakra that pushes him from the trees and the ground. They tell him that no matter how many times the world will end, the earth will stay where it is, waiting for him to join it.

They tell him memories of a world that was once peaceful and beautiful. Memories of a world which could only exist in dreams.

_- We are such stuff that dreams are made on; and our little life is rounded with a sleep_

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**Author's note: **It is on this bleak note that I end the story. Thanks to those that reviewed. Thanks to anyone that's bothered reading this far. I hope the story was somewhat enjoyable, albeit short._  
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